brazil84 comments on Undiscriminating Skepticism - Less Wrong

97 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 14 March 2010 11:23PM

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Comment author: brazil84 24 March 2010 07:08:58PM *  0 points [-]

Evidence please.

For example, consider this exchange:


Me: Sure; also there is hearsay documentary evidence (the Bible) and apparently even some scientific studies which supposedly demonstrate the power of prayer.

But by what standard do you reject such evidence?

You: Rejecting an interpretation of the evidence != rejecting evidence

Me: :shrug: By what standard do you evaluate this evidence so as to reach your atheistic conclusion notwithstanding this evidence for the existence of God?


It's pretty obvious in this context what it means to "reject evidence," but you chose an interpretation which let you avoid the question. i.e. you were evasive.

Anyway, I didn't make an issue out of your evasiveness until somebody made an issue out of the length of our exchange.

Comment author: cupholder 24 March 2010 07:20:48PM *  -1 points [-]

It's pretty obvious in this context what it means to "reject evidence,"

Indeed, and that context happens to include this question preceding the first one you quoted there:

And do you agree that there exists weak evidence for the existence of God?

which implies that you thought there was a significant chance that I didn't believe there was evidence of God. (Otherwise, why would you have bothered asking?) So when you subsequently implied that I 'reject such evidence' of God, it was quite reasonable to interpret it as literally just that - rejecting the evidence qua evidence - because you had just implied that you were open to the possibility that I denied evidence of God in general.

Anyway, I didn't make an issue out of your evasiveness until somebody made an issue out of the length of our exchange.

That's nice.

Comment author: brazil84 24 March 2010 07:31:08PM *  -1 points [-]

which implies that you thought there was a significant chance that I didn't believe there was evidence of God. (Otherwise, why would you have bothered asking?) So when you subsequently implied that I 'reject such evidence' of God, it was quite reasonable to interpret it as literally just that - rejecting the evidence qua evidence - because you had just implied that you were open to the possibility that I denied evidence of God in general.

Lol, you are being silly. We had both agreed that the evidence exists and then I asked why you rejected it. It was completely obvious what I meant.

Comment author: cupholder 24 March 2010 07:43:02PM -1 points [-]

Lol, you are being silly. We had both agreed that the evidence exists and then I asked why you rejected it.

You seem to be writing as if acknowledging the existence of evidence and rejecting evidence are mutually exclusive. Perhaps that is how you understand acknowledging that evidence exists v. rejecting evidence, but that's a new understanding to me.

It was completely obvious what I meant.

Apparently not.

Comment author: brazil84 24 March 2010 07:51:33PM *  0 points [-]

You seem to be writing as if acknowledging the existence of evidence and rejecting evidence are mutually exclusive.

Please either show me where I made such an implication by QUOTING me or admit I implied no such thing. Thank you.

Comment author: cupholder 24 March 2010 07:59:07PM -1 points [-]

Please either show me where I made such an implication by QUOTING me

I could be mistaken, but I think I already did.

Comment author: brazil84 24 March 2010 08:11:58PM 0 points [-]

Yes you are mistaken. If we both agree to X, it would make no sense for me to ask, in essence, why you believe in ~X.

Comment author: cupholder 24 March 2010 08:23:29PM -1 points [-]

I'm not asserting that you asked me if I believed there was no evidence of God (which is the ~X you have in mind, as far as I can tell). I'm asserting that you asked me whether I rejected evidence of God.

A second thing. It's plain to me that at this point this argument is capable of going around in circles forever (if it hasn't gone into a full-on death spiral already), and I'm not interested in engaging you on this point indefinitely. I'm not going to continue this subthread after this comment.

Comment author: brazil84 24 March 2010 09:25:21PM 1 point [-]

I'm not asserting that you asked me if I believed there was no evidence of God (which is the ~X you have in mind, as far as I can tell). I'm asserting that you asked me whether I rejected evidence of God.

But according to you, I implied that rejecting evidence of God excludes the possibility of acknowledging the existence of that evidence.

However I made no such implication.

and I'm not interested in engaging you on this point indefinitely. I'm not going to continue this subthread after this comment.

That's fine . . . I don't engage with people who strawman me.

Goodbye.